February Criss Cross Block

I can not believe that it is almost February and our bee is almost done!

I have had such a hard time trying to decide what I wanted to do for my month. It has been super cold here in South Dakota and with day time temps at -20 with out wind chill I have been dreaming of green grass, warm sunshine and picnics with my kiddos. So this month we will be making a fun bright block for me to make into a picnic quilt.

The block I choose is the Criss Cross Quilt block and we will be using Oh Cherry Oh fabric from a few years ago. I have been hoarding them for the perfect project! The pattern for the block can be found here

http://piecemealquilts.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/criss-cross-quilt.pdf

I will be sending enough fabric to make 1 block. I would like to keep the prints together in each corner as shown in the picture above. No need to trim your final block as I will trim them when I receive them all back. If you have any questions just let me know. Thank you so much and have fun!! Also if you are waiting for a block from me they will be sent with your fabric this weekend. Sorry for the delay!!!!

Kristen

New Year's Resolutions

You know, when I signed up for this bee and got January 2011, I thought my month would never come!  But it's here~

This month I'd like you to help me keep my new year's resolution-- Finish some UFOs.

The first I'd like to cross of my list (and the easiest to package up and send out to you) is this radiating square type block, made with Courthouse Steps construction.  Here is my inspiration quilt from the 2009 Empire Quilt Show in NYC:

Cozy Squares by Véronique Milliez.

 

I started making a bunch of blocks with black centers and scraps from my strips drawer.  The construction is pretty easy, but I made a short photo tutorial anyway.

Things to keep in mind:

• Blocks will have radiating squares of various widths.  Please keep the 4 sides the same width!  I'm not asking for perfection, but I do not want wonky!  Try to keep your rings 2" finished or less.
• This quilt is really random & scrappy, the fabrics in your envelope may not look good together to your eye, but all I want is contrast between each ring of color.  All together (like the inspiration quilt), they'll look awesome.  Feel free to add your own fabric if you want.
• Because we're working with scrap strips and no strict "pattern", construction should be pretty easy.  You do need to square up the block after each fabric addition in order for it to lay flat though (see pics below).  Stop once your block gets to be about 13.5" unfinished.  I'll do the final square up at home, thanks!
• Send your block and all left over fabric back to me by January 31st~

Ok, on to the tutorial.
We start with a black center square:

 Add the first color to two sides:

 Straighten your edges (should be 3.5" x ?  at this point.)

 Add the next two pieces to make a square, square it up again:

 Your first ring will look like this:

Choose a contrasting fabric, trim it to equal widths, and add more rings.  You will end up with some small scraps, please send them back to me for my next spiderweb quilt.

Straighten your edges before each addition:

The rings should be added in the same order, so your seams look like this:

And Voila!  A finished block:

Here's my fabric all sorted and ready to go:

I'm sending you one black center square and 6-7 strips of fabric.  You don't need to use all of them, but send back anything left over so I can make more scrappy blocks.  I've got pics of my finished blocks in a set on flickr.  You can see how colorful and scrappy it's going to be.  Thank you all so much for your help this month!

p.s. if I owe you a block (Sarah, Tanya, & Molly) it will be included with your fabric.

December - String Quilt

For december -we are doing a string quilt. You can use either of the tutorials below - they differ slightly but both will work.

Note that for my block - please use starting block size: 6.5 inches (as the ps i quilt tute does).

Middle strip must be the white fabric.

You are welcome to add corresponding solids to the string blocks - but please no patterns.

You do not have to square the final block up. You should have leftover strips - please return those for other blocks I will need to make. I sent 4 of each color (8 colors total) and then randomly added extras to each bag.

Please have fun creating this block. Perfection is NOT required.


www.filminthefridge.com/2009/04/27/a-string-quilt-block-t...

www.psiquilt.com/2009/05/block-o-strings-tutorial.html


Fabric was shipped on Saturday (Dec 4) - sorry for my tardiness. November got away from me.

November Blocks~Disappearing Nine Patch

Hi Ladies!
First of all, I have to apologize for getting the fabrics out to you all so late. We just moved across the country and everything was rather chaotic for a while...all our boxes aren't unpacked, but my sewing stuff finally is! :)
 So this month we are doing disappearing nine-patches...I've sent a variety of Lila Tueller fabrics, with one brown solid charm. If you could put the brown in the middle, that would be great!  Just arrange the cut pieces into a pleasing arrangement, then sew it up! Here's a wonderful tutorial for a DNP if you've never done one:  http://www.psiquilt.com/2009/03/disappearing-9-patch-tutorial-super.html
 Also, I have a new address--it's on the outside of your envelopes, but I will send you all a flickr mail too, just in case!  Thank you all so much, and I'm excited to see your blocks!

~~Molly

First Wonky Log Cabin Finish

Hi everyone, I thought I would share my latest finish. I've completed the
second in a 3-part series of quilts for my three boys. They all share a
room that is decorated in red, white, blue, Americana prints with a healthy
dose of bears, trains and boats thrown in.

You'll see only 2 of the Bee Blocks here. The others had more red in them and will go in the third quilt. I'm really enjoying all the hard work you ladies did for me!

I made their curtains and some crib accessories when they were younger and
I've saved every scrap. (Thank you, Bonnie Hunter of Quiltville!) My first quilt was for my youngest, this one is for the middle boy and there is one more in the works
for my 8 yr old son, the oldest of the littles. Robbie, my middle boy, loves
Thomas the Tank Engine so his quilt is mostly blues with sunny Sodor Railway
yellows thrown in.

Robbie looked at it and found the letter "J" in the middle. (His middle initial.) I may have to add some alphabet blocks to the back.

I love making wonky log cabins and using up every crumb in these quilts.
This one is just a flimsy right now. I have about 20 extra blocks that will
go on the back side along with a Lionel Train panel that someone gave me.
(nothing wasted!)

Hopefully, I'll sandwich it tomorrow then I'll free motion quilt it after
the kids are done with their school lessons for the day.

Thanks for looking! I've enjoyed getting back to my sewing room finally!!

October is for Wonky Stars!

Hi Ladies,

For my month of October I have picked Wonky Stars. This block was picked out for my daughter, Alexandra. She's in her 1st year at college and living there, so I'm hopeful that when she goes back there for her 2nd semester she'll be able to take a little love from home with the help of all of you. Here's the site where you can get the directions: The Silly BooDilly

I'm asking you all to make 2- 12 1/2" blocks and am sending you all each 2 center squares of fabric in different prints, as well as the white background fabric. If you can only make 1 block, please send home the extra's so I can make more blocks for her quilt. All the fabric will need to be trimmed done to the 4 1/2 " directions size. I'm asking you all to use your own scraps to make the star points, so that will give it a colorful scrappy feel. If you don't feel like you have enough scraps to work with then just let me know and I'll send some with your package.

Thanks,

Susan

September's Block

Well, school is off to a flying start here in Tulsa and our temperatures are still in the HOT range. That's my color inspiration for this month's block: indian summer. Lots of red-orange, olive, teal, gold, forest green and plum.

The block inspiration comes from Little Miss Shabby and her Scrapbuster Block. You can find her tutorial here. Feel free to insert your own 1 1/2" squares if you would like, as long as it goes with the colors.

As I carefully created this block, minding my 1/4" seams, my block squared up to be about 11 1/2" square. So that's what I'm hoping for with your block. If it doesn't come out 11 1/2", don't worry. Just send it in ~ I'm looking forward to your blocks!